Full Send It
What do you do when you know what’s right but it will cost you to act on it?
How he ended up there:
1517 – The Spark: Luther, an Augustinian monk and professor at Wittenberg, posts the 95 Theses challenging the sale of indulgences. It wasn’t meant to start a revolution; it was an academic protest.
1518–1520 – The Fire Spreads: His writings circulate rapidly because of the printing press. He escalates from critiquing indulgences to challenging papal authority itself, insisting Scripture stands above church councils and popes.
1520 – Condemned: Pope Leo X issues a papal bull (Exsurge Domine) condemning Luther and demanding he recant. Luther publicly burns it.
1521 – Summoned: The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V calls Luther to the Diet of Worms—not to debate, but to recant. This is a trial with lethal stakes. Jan Hus had been promised safe conduct a century earlier and was burned alive anyway. Luther knew the risk.
The Night of Fear:
When confronted with a table of his books and asked to recant, Luther—shaking—asks for 24 hours. He spends the night in prayer, aware this could cost him his life.
The Stand:
The next day he refuses to recant unless convinced by Scripture and clear reason, grounding conscience in God’s Word, not institutional power. The famous “Here I stand” line summarizes the moment.
FULL SEND IT – SLAM ⛷️
Big Idea:
Preach the Resurrection despite the opposition.
Context: After the Spirit falls upon the disciples, the Church is born and becomes a new and growing community devoted to the apostles teaching and exhibiting otherworldly power. In fact, when entering the temple to pray one day, Peter and John heal a man lame from birth in the name of Jesus. The people are astonished by the sign and Peter attempts to persuade them of Jesus. That was God’s point. He worked this miracle to platform the message of Jesus’ resurrection. Five thousand men and upwards of 15-20 including women and children believe. Yet, not everyone is excited. Thedisciples as heretics, and feeling jealous and deeply undermined,
Power (3:1–10)
Persuasion (3:11–26)
Persecution (4:1–22)
Prayer (4:23–37)
01. PERSUASION
Acts 3:12–14 And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? [13] The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. [14] But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you… [15] and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. [16] And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
a. Clarity is counterintuitively compelling.
Over the last several decades the West slowly devolved into a politically correct culture that demanded everyone to accept everything, everyone was expected to embrace ideas they know are nonsense, everyone was encouraged to identify as a victim, and everyone was given safe-spaces to protect them from trauma. But now because of this, a counter-culture is rising up of people that long to be told the uncomfortable truth, to embrace reality despite its difficulty, to reject victimhood and own responsibility, and to find in-your-face challenges so that they can be changed for the better. And of course they should. This isn’t something new. It’s something ancient. Something primal. It’s what God made us for—it’s woven into our humanness as image bearers of God. Peter does what few people today are willing to do: He confronts them on their sin—and invites them to see themselves as the problem.
Hard times make strong men…
Strong men make easy times…
easy times make soft men…
soft men make hard times…
We re developing spiritually strong mean and women
We need to swallow bad news before we will taste good news. Before you will find real hope, you’ve got to face your sin. The Bible teaches that you are the villain and not the hero. We need to come to the end of ourselves before we will discover hope in Christ.
Acts 3:15–20 [15] and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. [16] And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all. [17] “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. [18] But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. [19] Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, [20] that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord…
b. Gospel preachers are required to be gentle and respectful.
He uses the term “brothers” (family language) equating himself with them. This is why we should use “we” language and have humility when speaking about the Gospel—we need it just as much as our hearers. He notes they acted in ignorance.
I got share the Gospel with a unbelieving young man at Candlelight service. God filled my heart with so much mercy for him. He simply doesn’t know if Jesus’ claims are true. I was the same exact way as a young man.
c. The message is more important than mercy.
Many people want the church to be focused on doing common good in the community, helping with charity or feeding the poor etc. These are not bad things. But God only does miraculous good to serve as a means to draw attention to the message of the resurrection. This is why we are a Word church. If people are warm and fed but not converted and discipled, they will only be made comfortable on their way to Hell. If they healed of cancer, but don’t meet the Healer, then they will only slightly extend their brief time earth before being judged by the Lord. The point of doing good is to open the door to the good news. We should always seek to show mercy, but we must always elevate the message above everything.
You need a deeper healing.
Have you repented of sin? Have you confessed? Have you made amends? Have you opened up about your struggles? Have you turned and trusted in Christ? Here’s why Peter says you should: “That times of refreshing may come…”
[19] Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, [20] that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord…
→ Faith before the healing comes (Chase)
Going all in with Jesus comes with a cost
02. PERSECUTION
Acts 4:7–13 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” [8] Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, [9] if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, [Not snarky at all]
[10] let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. [11] This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. [12] And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
VS 29
[13] Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.
a. The Gospel is inherently offensive.
The high priestly family, for having such a sterile faith, feels a profound level indignation. They are Sadducees didn’t believe in resurrection at all—even at the end of the age. Now the Peter and John are proclaiming that Jesus rose from the dead in history.
It’s always surprising that secular or atheist people are the most offended by Christian doctrine and morality. It’s almost laughable. You guys don’t believe that anything immaterial exists—or that life has significance after death—but you’re very concerned, even incensed, that Christians would hold to immaterial moral truth claims? By what standard do you even judge morality? And if that standard is merely one of your own determination, why should anyone else adhere to it? If that standard only counts in this life—why is it even so important? It’s amazing that people who don’t believe in objective truth are so committed to their moral truth claims.
It doesn’t make sense–until you realize there is something spiritual fueling their hatred. Real immaterial good and evil are caught in a real conflict. Because of that—you need to be aware that following Jesus will always find you enemies.
You don’t need to add offensiveness to the Gospel. The Gospel is quite good at offending people even if you try to talk about it winsomely. You should not try to stir up conflict as a Christian–you should make every effort to make following Jesus look appealing and never to make your faith offensive. But do not be surprised, because conflict will finds you when you genuinely follow Jesus since spiritual realities beyond what the eye can see are real. The offense isn’t the tone but the authority that you represent.
We are tempted to be confrontational with the world when it’s self serving.
b. Boldness makes you look like Jesus.
They weren’t qualified they were just IN His presence.
And the opposite is true too.
c. Being with Jesus creates in us boldness.
We gain deep boldness but walking closely with Jesus and obeying his commands. Active obedience and real nearness deepen our conviction.
Boldness flows from:
Union with Christ (John 15:4–5)
Obedient intimacy (John 14:21)
Spirit-filled dependence (Acts 4:8; 4:31)
This is why prayer precedes power.
Do you want to be bold? Steadfast? Unshakeable? Spend time with Jesus. Study His word. And grow bold by knowing Him personally.
03. PRAYER
Acts 4:23– When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. [24] And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, [25] who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,
“‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
[26] The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers were gathered together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed’—
BOLDNESS
[31] And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
a. They don’t pray for rescue from opposition, they pray for resolve to face it.
Repent of self-preservation and embrace a Kingdom mindset. Are you self-protective? Do you struggle with fear? Ask yourself what your highest priority is.
Brother Young Stop praying for the persecution to stop and start praying for strong
Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
You moved here to find the good life: What if you really moved here for the Kingdom of God.
Tjaden’s aren’t in danger they are dangerous. Seven virtues: Virtue 02 “Tjaden’s lead courageously”. We want our kids to understand who they–reject victimhood and passivity and lie of fear and self-protection and instead live boldly for Christ.
“Embrace the suck”
→ Courage is being scared and doing the right thing anyway.
We need a bold church now more than ever
All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
My great grandfather not only hid Jews but joined an underground army to fight the Nazis in the streets. He was captured, got out, captured again, and went back on fighting. What was wrong with him? Who returns to the fight after their release? Someone whose highest aim is not self-preservation but virtue.
We need a bold spirit in this church!
Take a Prayer Walk this week
Obey God in something difficult: Serving, Giving, Fasting, Spiritual Disciplines, Confess Sin
Step Out in Evangelism What’s one bold thing you can do for your ONE?